(foto: Getty Images)
France and Spain will meet in a heavyweight World Cup semi-final, with Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal preparing for one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.
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The 2026 World Cup has produced its dream semi-final.
France and Spain, two of the tournament's outstanding teams, will meet for a place in the final in what many are already calling the "final before the final."
It is also a repeat of the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final and another meeting between two nations widely regarded as the strongest in international football today.
Naturally, much of the spotlight will fall on two of the game's biggest stars, Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal.
So far, the World Cup has belonged to Mbappé.
The Real Madrid forward has once again delivered on football's biggest stage and enters the semi-final as one of the leading candidates for both the Golden Boot and the Player of the Tournament award.
His World Cup record is extraordinary. France has never lost a World Cup match after 90 minutes when Mbappé starts. In 18 such matches, Les Bleus have recorded 17 victories and one draw, the unforgettable 2022 World Cup final against Argentina, which ended 3-3 before France lost on penalties.
Mbappé has once again been France's biggest attacking weapon, but Didier Deschamps possesses perhaps the deepest forward line in the tournament. Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola provide pace, creativity and constant attacking threat.
Spain, however, has looked every bit as convincing.
Luis de la Fuente's side has impressed throughout the tournament with its balance, tactical discipline and defensive organisation. Only in the quarter-final did Spain concede its first goal of the World Cup, underlining the strength of a team that has quietly become one of the favourites for the title.
On paper, Spain may even hold the advantage in midfield, where its technical quality and control have been among the defining features of the tournament.
All eyes will also be on Lamine Yamal. The teenage Barcelona sensation has scored once in six appearances but is still waiting for his first assist of the tournament.
Despite those modest numbers, Yamal has remained one of Spain's most dangerous players, regularly drawing multiple defenders and creating space for teammates. Against France, the 19-year-old has another opportunity to announce himself on the biggest stage of all.
Whether the evening belongs to Mbappé's experience or Yamal's brilliance, one thing is certain. The football world will be watching as two giants battle for a place in the 2026 World Cup final.